With all this Barrett-Jackson brouhaha around here, we mustn't forget that there are other places to spend torrents of money on a vintage car. Say, on eBay Motors, where $3,000,000 will buy you the only GT500 Super Snake that Carroll Shelby ever made. You get the 520-horse 427, the rights to the SuperSnake.org website, and about a million tons of history with the deal. But still, we can't help wondering how many Omni GLHSs you could buy with 3 megabucks and still have enough left over for a mansion and a couple of Zimmer Golden Spirits- probably all of them! [eBay Motors]

Developing ... Amid all the fanfare and glowing press-release regurge that's bubbled to the surface regarding AC Cars's plans to open a new factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut — many Cobra enthusiasts remain less than impressed. The object of their skepticism is AC Cars chairman Alan Lubinsky, who many suggest is working some sort of angle. Some say the company's operations in Malta are a sham. It's a complex story, and we've got phone calls in all over the world trying to confirm a few loose ends. Meanwhile, send any tips to tips@jalopnik.com.

Club Cobra — AC US on the Move [Club Cobra]

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AC to Build Cars in Connecticut [internal]

At a glance, the Iconic GTR looks like just another Cobra replica. But taking a closer look you realize it's the bespoke details that make it special. Shiny toggle switches, plush leather, jewel-like gauges, a roll-bar that conceals LED turn signals with a full spectrum of color adjustment; it all makes the GTR feel like a creation made for winning the Riddler Award. But don't think that it's all show and no go — the body is all carbon-fiber with ground effects that help make over 500 pounds of downforce. Open the power-operated bonnet you'll find a F1-style front suspension and the heart of the beast, a 800 HP naturally-aspirated 6.9-liter V8. And that's not just some crate motor, it's a hand-assembled custom with a unique fuel-injection system.

Iconic Motors says that this is just the beginning for their company, even hinting at the possibility of a future electric supercar, but time will tell. For now, the planned run of 100 GTR Roadsters will be sold for about $600,000 a pop. That may seem like quite a lot if you're comparing it to a fiberglass kit car; but if you look at it through the eyes of the carnauba-drenched, mirrors to show off the chassis, custom hot rod commissioners, it all makes sense.

Long Island, N.Y. - The GTR Roadster by Iconic Motors will make its world auto show debut at the New York International Auto Show. A truly groundbreaking automobile, the Iconic GTR boasts 18 pending U.S. patents, a chassis made of high strength chromoly, a carbon fiber passenger tub and carbon fiber body panels, and a high performance air management system with under body inverted carbon fiber wings designed to generate more than 500 pounds of down force at 175 miles per hour.

The Iconic GTR's 1950s inspired body design features many panels constructed of a poly silicate matrix sandwiched between two layers of carbon fiber that results in an incredibly strong light weight and rigid body. With its carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb reinforced chassis having over 20,000 pounds of torsional rigidity, the GTR offers a level of performance handling that rivals that found in many modern race cars.

"I have wanted to build a car that combines the latest innovative technologies with the most exquisite detailing, design and all out performance since the day I began reading car magazines as a kid," said Claudio Ballard, the inventor and visionary behind the GTR Roadster. "Everything from the custom-built, heated and cooled carbon fiber seats to the computerized gas cap that slides open like the glass on a moon roof embodies my vision."

From its luxurious leather and suede hand-stitched interior to its hand-assembled 420-cid/800-horsepower naturally aspirated V-8 engine, the vehicle is a rolling showcase for revolutionary technology shrouded in a racecar. The entire nose clip swings up and forward to reveal the highly detailed engine compartment, showcasing a custom-fabricated engine built to super car racing standards featuring titanium valves, high strength light weight stainless and aluminum components throughout along with the very latest in high performance friction reduction technology. The patent pending shifter mechanism is specifically designed to display its inner workings as a beautiful piece of automotive artwork, and even the gauges, dashboard starter and hazard light push button switches are custom designed from stainless steel and manmade synthetic sapphire with a hardness level just below that of diamond. The dash center console has a 8-inch touch screen display utilizing the same bright-view technology found in military strike fighters and bombers for clear visibility regardless of sunlight exposure in support of its onboard GPS navigation and driver information displays.

The Iconic GTR - proudly designed, engineered and constructed using state-of-the-art computer-aided design and manufacturing technology entirely in the United States with over 99% U.S. sourced materials.

Ballard will build one hundred of these high performance pieces of rolling artwork roadsters. Priced at $600,000, his team will begin taking orders for the Iconic GTR in April with production slated to begin in Fall 2008.

After months of Ironman teaser shots and Ironman Super Bowl commercials and all kinds of other nonsense, the full trailer is now live and it's looking pretty good. Convenient for our Leap Day Celebration, Ironman appears to be able to jump right into the suit with some sort of Jetsons style automatic clothes putter-onner then bound around from explosion to explosion. It also looks like the evil-doers get a hold of... oh, we don't want to be a spoiler - watch it yourself. Be forewarned though, the destruction of the Cobra is explained here so be sure you can stomach it after lunch. [also playing at Gizmodo and io9]

Just about every time Carroll Shelby smells merely a whiff of somebody using the name "Shelby" or "Cobra" or "Automobile" without paying through the nose for it his permission, ol' Shel' slaps em' with a good old 'merican-style lawsuit. Remember the case against Wilhelm Motor Works? There was even a suit against the Shelby American Automobile Club. So between all the replica Shelby Mustangs and Cobras out there, Carroll must be too busy taking people to court to even consider buying any of their lesser re-creations, right? Well, apparently not, as Shelby has just recently acquired a Superformance Brock Coupe, a car that's essentially a fake Shelby Cobra 'Daytona' Coupe. Ok, to be fair, the Superformance Coupe was designed by the same Peter Brock that penned the original '60s special, but we still can't help but find this ironic. Maybe it happened because the guy is getting old. We say that because this Daytona was fitted with a paddle-shift automatic transmission designed by MasterShift, which means 85-year old Carroll doesn't have to use a heavy clutch pedal to swap cogs now. Press release from Shelby below the jump.

Irvine, CA - On Monday, April 21, Shelby Distribution USA presented automotive legend Carroll Shelby with a custom Superformance Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. This unique gift was made possible by Amy Boylan and the team at Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas and Lance Stander and the employees at Shelby Distribution USA in Irvine, CA. "It was fantastic to have the opportunity to honor Carroll Shelby with this special car," said Stander. "We hope he enjoys driving it as much as we enjoyed giving it to him."

Painted in the same "Guardsman Blue" of the original cars, Carroll's Daytona Coupe also features the number 98 that represents chassis #2300 that Shelby himself owned up until 1999. Power comes from a Roush 427SR V8 with 480 horsepower and 515 lb-ft torque. Unique to Carroll's Daytona Coupe is a shifting system that utilizes paddles and buttons on the steering wheel. Developed by MasterShift (www.mastershift.com) of San Diego, the Art Carr 2004R 4-speed automatic transmission can be up shifted via paddles and downshifted using two buttons on either side of the steering wheel. The system also has safety features including a one second delay from Drive to Neutral as well as a speed sensor to prevent the car from being shifted into reverse or park unless it is completely stopped. Installation of the engine, transmission and paddle shift system was handled by Exotic Auto Restoration of Costa Mesa.

History of the Daytona Coupe

The original six Daytona Cobra Coupe factory racers enjoyed a short but impressive racing career: Originally built for the 1964-65 for the 1964-65 racing season using 289 Shelby Cobra roadster chassis, these were America's answer to Ferrari's highly successful 250 GTO. In their first year of competition, the Daytona Coupes won the GT class at Sebring and then placed 4th overall at Le Mans. They proved to be so competitive that Ferrari officials, fearing a loss of the championship, managed to get the Monza, Italy final round cancelled, knowing the Daytona's would win the race and the Championship. Consequently, Ferrari claimed the 1964 FIA World Manufacturer's Championship. The following year Enzo Ferrari, realizing he would lose to the Daytona's, pulled his factory support from the GT program, paving the way for the Daytona Coupe walkover. In 1965, the ex-Shelby Daytona Coupes of the UK's Alan Mann racing team won the FIA's World Manufacturer's GT title with ease.

Recreating the Legend

Almost 40 years later, Superformance has re-created this nostalgic player in American racing history. The Coupe is a Carroll Shelby licensed product and was designed by some of the original team, including Peter Brock and Bob Negstad. The Coupe boasts amazingly sleek lines and a contoured body which is slightly larger than that of the original race car. The original suspension was further engineered and improved and the interior space was optimized for more room. Addding value to this impressive Daytona is the fact that it is also eligible for the Shelby American Automobile Club owners registry, capturing each chassis number as a part of American history.

Superformance Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Standard Equipment*

• A complete factory-assembled rolling chassis.
• Show quality PPG paint finishes with many standard colors - custom colors also available.
• Fully independent front and rear suspension.
• Bilstein® coil over progressive shocks with H&R Springs®.
• Tubular space frame constructed of mild steel.
• Power assisted rack & pinion steering.
• Four-wheel vented disc brakes, power assisted.
• PBR® calipers.
• Aluminum radiator / oil cooler with dual electric fans.
• Oil cooler and braided lines.
• Stainless steel fuel tank. 20 gallon.
• Vinylester and glass composite body.
• Custom TFE air conditioning system.
• BTR / Dana HydraTrac limited slip differential.
• 18" cast Alloy wheels and tires.
• Tinted front, side and rear windows.
• Remote door locks and immobilizer system.
• Unique under car exhaust -side pipes.
• Black leather and Alcantra interior.
• Retractable 3 point seat belts.
• Stewart Warner electronic gauges.
*Some components and features are subject to change